Energy

Creates the Climate Corporate Accountability Act. Provides that, on or before July 1, 2026, the Secretary of State shall develop and adopt rules to require a reporting entity to annually disclose to the emissions registry, and verify, all of the reporting entity's scope 1 emissions, scope 2 emissions, and scope 3 emissions. Provides that a reporting entity, starting on January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, shall publicly disclose to the emissions registry all of the reporting entity's scope 1 emissions and scope 2 emissions for the prior calendar year, and its scope 3 emissions for that same calendar year no later than 180 days after that date. Provides that the Secretary of State shall contract with an emissions registry to develop a reporting and registry program to receive and make publicly available disclosures. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2027, the Secretary of State shall contract with the University of Illinois, a national laboratory, or another equivalent academic institution to prepare a report on the public disclosures made by reporting entities to the emissions registry. Provides that the emissions registry, on or before January 1, 2027, shall create a digital platform, which shall be accessible to the public, that will house all disclosures submitted by reporting entities to the emissions registry. Provides for enforcement of the Act. Effective immediately.

Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. Removes the requirement for the Illinois Power Agency to annually determine the amount of utility-scale renewable energy credits it will include each year from the self-direct renewable portfolio standard compliance program. Provides that the self-direct credit amount for each renewable energy credit supplied shall be determined annually and is equal to the volumetric charge collected under a provision in the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the approved self-direct credit amount shall be multiplied by each renewable energy credit procured by participating self-direct customers for up to 100% of the self-direct customer's annual consumption. Provides that the self-direct customer's utility bill credit amount shall consist of a credit towards the utility-scale renewable energy portion of the volumetric charge and shall not include a credit toward the portion of the volumetric charge associated with procuring renewable energy credits through existing and future contracts under the Adjustable Block Program, the Solar for All Program, and a specified provision of the Act. Amends the Public Utilities Act. Provides that the provisions of the Illinois Power Agency Act relating to the payments by retail customers of a utility for the purpose of recovering the utility's costs for procuring renewable energy credits shall not apply to an alternative retail electric supplier, or its customers, that operates a combined heat and power system in this State, or that has a corporate affiliate that operates a combined heat and power system in this State, and supplies electricity primarily to or for the benefit of certain specified facilities. Effective immediately.

Amends the General Provisions Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that the amendatory Act may be referred to as the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act. With regard to the retirement systems established under the General Assembly, State Employees, State Universities, Downstate Teachers, or Judges Article of the Code and the Illinois State Board of Investment, prohibits direct investment of any additional pension assets in the stocks, securities, or other obligations of any fossil fuel company or any subsidiary, affiliate, or parent of a fossil fuel company. Provides that each board of trustees of a pension system shall ensure the pension system does not make further indirect investments unless, upon exercising due diligence, the board of trustees is satisfied that the investment vehicle is unlikely to have more than 2% of its assets invested in fossil fuel companies. Requires pension system trustees to identify the pension system's holdings, whether directly or indirectly invested, including private investments. Requires pension system trustees to identify holdings that are invested in the stocks, securities, equities, fixed income, corporate bonds, prime commercial paper, or other obligations of fossil fuel companies. Requires pension systems to, in accordance with sound investment criteria and consistent with fiduciary obligations, divest any fossil fuel holdings, which must be completed by January 1, 2030. Requires pension systems to adopt an update to their written investment policies if necessary. Requires each pension system to disclose the analytic methods used, if any, in determining the climate-related financial risks posed by its fossil fuel investments (both publicly traded and private investments) and the results of the analysis. Sets forth provisions concerning definitions, de minimis exposure to fossil fuel securities, and annual reporting. Effective immediately.

Amends the Energy Efficient Building Act. In provisions concerning the Illinois Stretch Energy Code, changes the date by which the Capital Development Board shall create and adopt a stretch energy code with a site energy index no greater than 40% of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code from December 31, 2025 to December 31, 2026. Changes the date that the Board shall create and adopt a stretch energy code with a site energy index that is no greater than 33% of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code from no later than December 31, 2028 to no later than December 31, 2029. Changes the date by which the Board shall create and adopt a stretch energy code with a site energy index no greater than 25% of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code from no later than December 31, 2031 to no later than December 31, 2032.

Amends the Environmental Protection Act. Provides that the owner or operator of any large GHG-emitting unit in the State, including the owner or operator of an EGU in the State, may petition the Commission for a waiver of any one or more specified emission limitations. Provides that, if the Commission determines, following a hearing, that compliance with any one or more of the emission limitations will either threaten the reliability or adequacy of electricity supplies in the State or will create a significant economic hardship for electricity users in the State, the Commission may enter a written order waiving the operation of those limitations for a period to be specified by the Commission. Provides that, if at any time the Illinois Commerce Commission believes that an impending plant closure would threaten the reliability or adequacy of electricity supplies in the State or create a significant economic hardship for electricity users, the Illinois Commerce Commission shall enter a written order waiving the operation of those limitations for any large GHG-emitting units in the State for a period to be specified by the Commission. Provides that, if there is a conflict between the terms of the Act and an order entered by the Commission, the Commission's order shall control. Effective immediately.

Amends the Energy Efficient Building Act. Provides that the Capital Development Board shall adopt specified provisions into the Illinois Energy Conservation Code concerning insulation in an unvented attic and an unvented enclosed rafter assemblies.

Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Pilot Program Act. Creates the Illinois Rust Belt to Green Belt Fund as a special fund in the State treasury and makes a conforming change in the State Finance Act. Provides that the Fund shall be used by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to encourage and facilitate the employment of construction workforces located in underrepresented populations. Provides that applicants that are applying for a new utility-scale offshore wind project with the Illinois Power Agency shall file with the Department, as part of the applicant's application, an equity and inclusion plan. Amends the Illinois Power Agency Act. In provisions concerning the procurement of renewable energy credits, provides that in addition to the amount of renewable energy credits to be procured from wind projects, the Illinois Power Agency shall procure at least 700,000 renewable energy credits, delivered annually for at least 20 years, from one new utility-scale offshore wind project. In provisions concerning the development of a long-term renewable resources procurement plan, provides that the total of renewable energy resources procured under the procurement plan shall be reduced for all retail customers based on the amount necessary to limit the annual estimated average net increase due to the costs of these resources included in the amounts paid by eligible retail customers in connection with electric service to no more than 4.25% of the amount paid per kilowatthour by those customers during the year ending May 31, 2009, and to no more than 4.5% of that amount as of the billing month following the expected date that a new utility-scale offshore wind project commences commercial operations and is expected to begin delivering power to the PJM Interconnection, LLC transmission grid. Provides that the Agency shall conduct at least one new utility-scale offshore wind procurement within 360 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act. Defines terms. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

Amends the Electricity Excise Tax Law. Provides that, beginning July 1, 2025, the tax under the Act is imposed on the operator of an electric vehicle charging station for the electric power transferred for the purpose of charging an electric vehicle. Provides that the tax is not imposed on a person who purchases electricity at an electric vehicle charging station to charge or recharge the battery or other energy storage device of an electric vehicle or on a person who acquires such electricity for free. Provides that the term "purchase price" includes consideration paid by an operator of an electric vehicle charging station to its supplier for the electrical power transferred to the operator's customers for the purpose of charging or recharging the battery or other energy storage device of an electric vehicle. Provides that the term "purchase price" does not include the consideration paid to an operator of an electric vehicle charging station by its customer for the electrical power transferred to charge or recharge the battery or other energy storage device of an electric vehicle. Effective immediately.

Creates the Residential Automated Solar Permitting Platform Act. Provides that on or before July 1, 2026, municipalities with a population of more than 5,000 residents and all counties must adopt a residential automated solar permitting platform. Requires the public reporting of information about such a platform on the official website of the municipality and county. Provides that a person or entity aggrieved by a violation of the Act or any rule adopted under the Act may file a civil action in the county in which the alleged offense occurred or where any person who is party to the action resides, without regard to exhaustion of any alternative administrative remedies provided in the Act. Provides that a person or entity whose rights have been violated under the Act by a municipality or county is entitled to collect: (i) up to 50% of the total cost of the residential photovoltaic system installation for which the permit is requested; (ii) in the case of unlawful retaliation, all legal or equitable relief as may be appropriate; and (iii) attorney's fees and costs. Creates a statute of limitations for a civil action 3 years from the date that a person or entity requested a permit for a residential photovoltaic system.

Amends the Electric Vehicle Rebate Act. Authorizes rebates for electric vehicles that are electric motorcycles. Specifies that, for a purchaser to be eligible to receive a rebate under the Act, the purchaser must, among other things, apply for the rebate within 180 days (rather than 90 days) after purchase, during an open rebate cycle as identified by the Agency, and certify that the purchaser qualifies as low-income. Provides that amounts appropriated to and deposited into the Electric Vehicle Rebate Fund from the General Revenue Fund, or any other fund, (rather than only the General Revenue Fund) shall be distributed from the Electric Vehicle Rebate Fund to fund the electric vehicle rebate program established under the Act. Makes changes to definitions. Effective July 1, 2025.